Structure support is my guess.

I think I saw an interview where Larry discussed 17 around the time of the DoG event. Wish I could remember the exact reason, but he's had a bunch of boats with that number, and apparently has won some major events running that number.

Mike

They broke a daggerboard on their first sail, the load on the tip of those L foils has to be immense.

video first sail

I'll post 'em here since I don't post, let alone even visit that internet cesspool...




At one point as I was watching 17 sail, I notices that the T Foil on the rudder was lifting more that the board. The boat was sailing bow down. I was about .25 miles off, so it was difficult to see exactly what was going on, but I assume that this is when the board broke.

Having seen the tips of F18 boards sink after a breakage, I assumed that the foil probably sunk. It was reported to me later in the day that one of the chase boats picked it up; it was floating.

Not wanting to disrespect the team, I called their media rep and asked permission to post the pics. He granted permission, and was appreciative of my respect.

I've got a few more. I'll post sometime.

Thanks Jeremy

Great pics, do we know what that box at the base of the wing is?

Counter balance for wing installation. That and the struts come off to sail.

the tiller look cool. so far i think this is the best looking 72. also are both the oracle boats going to be the same?

Those bows look very skinny/low volume compared to the rest of the boat/rig. I wonder if that's why they added the T foils to the rudders. to keep it from going bow-down, or....are they going to try to foil it?

If they can keep the L boards from snapping, I could see where they might be able to foil, but I don't see any means of adjusting the ride height if they do get it up in the air, and they were obviously sailing it on one hull only, so I don't think the intent is to foil it, unless they are going to work their way up to that, after they get used to sailing it.

i cant remember were i read it but the t foils are there is its less likely to pichpole

Cant wait to see these cats race:

I noticed that too. A 72 foot boat with a tiller... I wonder if they are going to keep with that or if it was just something for testing. I noticed that New Zealand's boat was wheels.

Close up of the team installing the tiller arms.

The rules prohibit any underwater adjustment of the foils (flaps, etc.)...but they do have the ability to hydraulically tilt the daggerboards fore and aft quite a bit. The hydraulic power comes from the manual winching stations.

It's a strange tiller too - they can steer the boat while standing up by swinging the rod/bar from side to side. I hope he has something else to hang on to...I have visions of those capsizes where you slide down the trampoline with the tiller in your hand...which makes the rudders turn more into the flip.

Yeah, if they are going 40 knots, I HOPE the driver has a seatbelt! Otherwise it's going to get pretty sporty every time they stuff a bow! I wonder if they'll have a single driving station in the center, with a seat and belt, so the skipper doesn't have to run the full width of the boat with every tack/gybe.

The exact same system has been used on Dutch merchant ships since the 1600s.
There are extensions going to each side so he can steer from both hulls though, no need to stand on the center platform.

The steering action is the exact reverse of a normal tiller though, I wonder if they changed that somehow.

Don't count on it. They're going to optimize every ounce of righting moment.